


The Best in the County

by starfleetblues



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bones is an athletic trainer, Jim is an athlete, M/M, Things ensue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-17
Updated: 2013-11-17
Packaged: 2018-01-01 19:28:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1047701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starfleetblues/pseuds/starfleetblues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James T. Kirk is a three-sport athlete at Riverside, Iowa's Enterprise High School. He runs cross country, swims, and runs track. He also gets hurt- a lot. When Len McCoy starts as the new athletic trainer at Enterprise, he is determined to not fall for the hot blond he sees every day in his office.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Best in the County

**Author's Note:**

> Or, in which Jim swims and runs while I only swim and he inherits all of my injuries because I don't know.  
> Y'all can blame Anneliese shiptoomuch for this one. Your dumb marathon AU gave me this stupid idea and 5k words later, here we are. I have no excuse for this other than sectionals feels.  
> As usual, I own no part of the Star Trek Universe, nor am I profiting from writing this.

James T. Kirk was the star athlete of Enterprise High School in Riverside, Iowa. In the fall, he ran cross country, in the winter, he swam, and in the spring, he ran track.

He was also extremely injury prone.

Over the first three years of his athletic career at Enterprise, he had gotten to know their athletic trainer, Phil Boyce, extremely well, and Phil had merely just shaken his head any time he saw Jim come in hobbling or cradling a body part. Jim usually didn’t like doctors, but he had grown to like going to the trainer because Phil never did anything that Jim didn’t want, and always knew exactly what to give Jim for the pain and how to handle the kid. So when Jim came in to get a bag of ice for his latest round of shin splints at the end of his junior year track season, he was shocked to have Phil tell him the two words he hoped he’d never have to hear.

“Jim, I’m retiring.”

The young athlete nearly dropped the bag of ice he was holding. “What?”

“At the end of this year, Jim. I’ll be here until the last day, and then I’m done. I’ve been the trainer here for a long time, and I’m ready to retire.”

“But, Phil- what about me? Are you really just going to leave me here with all my injuries for another year?”

“I’ll have a replacement trainer here for the last few weeks, and you can meet him then. Truthfully, you’re the only reason I’ve stayed this long,” Phil admitted. “You’ll be in good hands, I promise.”

“Not as good as yours, Phil.” Jim couldn’t hide the bitterness in his voice and hopped off the bed where his legs had been checked over for something more serious than his usual shin splints. “I should get back up there. Pike might murder me if I don’t. Besides, you’ve got a line.” He turned to leave before Phil could stop him, stepping awkwardly to prevent the shooting pain in his legs from getting too severe.

“Nice of you to return, Jim,” Pike called as the track coach saw Jim hobbling his way across the track.

Jim didn’t respond with his usual snark, merely remained silent with a weak grimace on his face. “Pike, did you know that Phil is retiring at the end of the year?” He talked in a low tone, to prevent his teammates stretching nearby from hearing.

Pike shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I’m sorry to hear that though- he’s a damn good medic. Does he have a replacement lined up?”

Jim nodded. “He told me he’ll have the guy in for the last few weeks to learn where everything is and how it works here. I suppose I’ll get to meet him several times.”

Pike chuckled before yelling at the boys who had been stretching for far longer than necessary. “Get running, all of you! We’ve got a lot to do before conference!”

“Aye, sir,” came the chorus from the pack of boys, who all began running as a group, with the senior captain, Spock, quickly pulling ahead, and the group of freshman falling behind. Jim and Pike stood and watched them for a moment, admiring Spock’s long strides that really shouldn’t work to pull him ahead that much. Jim’s shin pain flared up again, and he winced as he made the short walk to the bench.

“Goddamn shin splints,” Jim complained as he pushed the bag of ice towards the center of the pain.

“Language,” Pike warned absently. “As your principal, I could suspend you for using such a vulgar word around me.”

Jim snorted. “I’m your best athlete, and I quote, ‘the best fucking runner in the county’ according to you.”

“Touché.”

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, the hot sun beating down on the ice and Jim wished he had an umbrella or something to block at least part of the rays.

“Remind me to put an umbrella in my car tonight,” he said to Pike, who gave him a confused look.

“If it’s gonna rain tomorrow, practice still goes, umbrella or no umbrella.”

“No, to block the ice from the sun.” Jim gestured to the bag that was almost completely melted, but still blissfully cold.

Pike nodded. “Good idea. Can you help me correct their form?” he nodded towards the group of freshmen who were wincing as they bounced on their feet, and Jim grinned.

“Of course. Bring ‘em over, and I’ll tell them what I tell everyone.”

Pike put his fingers in his mouth and whistled to grab the attention of the team. “You freshman, over here,” he said, pointing at the group. “The rest of you, your workout’s on the store room door again.”

Jim had found over the past two years that he enjoyed helping Pike correct form and assistant coach in general, something he hadn’t wanted to do at first but had been convinced. He sat with his legs along the bench, ice somehow still cold enough to relieve the pain, and made the freshman run the length of his area one by one, stopping them to correct how they moved more than once. When he and Pike were both pleased with their form, they released them and Jim got to his feet unsteadily, determined to do at least a few laps before leaving.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Pike called absently as Jim hobbled back out to his car twenty minutes and eight easy laps later, so he could make it to work on time. Truthfully, Jim was the best they had, despite his laundry list of injuries and Pike wouldn’t trade him for the world. The kid was a genius as well, and the only person Pike could think of that could pass four AP classes with straight As, work, and play three sports.

 

Jim got the honor of meeting Phil’s replacement the next week, a fairly young guy named Leonard McCoy, who Jim immediately had one thought about- this guy was _hot._

“Ah, Jim.” Phil greeted him warmly as if nothing had changed, and gestured for the teen to hop up on the table as he filled a bag with ice. “Still the shin splints?”

Jim didn’t respond for a moment, his mind still focused on the new trainer. “Uh, yeah, just the shins, Phil,” he said, flustered by his response to someone he’d be seeing rather often for the next year.

Phil tossed the bag of ice to Jim and performed his routine cursory check of Jim’s shins. “Jim, this is Leonard McCoy, who’ll be replacing me next year. Len, this is Jim Kirk. He’s in nearly every day and he’s very injury prone. There’s also a list of his allergies on the wall over there, which you should probably leave up in case he ever needs painkillers or something.”

Len merely nodded, and his hazel eyes met Jim’s striking blue ones. “Guess we’ll get to know each other pretty well next year,” he said finally, and Jim had to clear the lump from his throat.

“I’ll probably be here every day,” he joked. “I’m a three-sport athlete with chronic shin splints and I tore my rotator cuff over the winter.”

Len raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you should take it easy, kid. No need to stress yourself.”

Phil laughed. “I’ve been telling him that for three years now, and he still hasn’t listened.” He motioned for Len to join him at the foot of the table, pressing his thumbs into Jim’s lower legs. “Len, have you ever felt for shin splints before?”

“Not really, no, but I know they’re common in most athletes.”

Phil guided Len’s hands, but the new trainer hesitated. “Do you-“

“Go for it,” Jim nodded.

When Phil’s hands pushed Len’s down onto the proper spot, Jim couldn’t deny that there was a shock that went through his body. Phil’s hands weren’t as gentle as his replacement’s, feeling softly but firmly at the same time, sending electricity through Jim’s body every time his fingers pressed.

When Len released his legs, Jim swung them over the edge of the bed and looked up for permission. Both trainers nodded, and Jim eased his weight down and grabbed the bag of ice and thanked Phil for the ice. His legs still hurt, but less so than the week before, and he kind of regretted that he wouldn’t be able to see Phil’s replacement very often.

Pike asked him how it went, and he mentioned that he met the new trainer as he pulled up the box he had commandeered as a footstool and arranged the ice and umbrella.

“He was… young,” Jim said, choosing his words carefully. “But he seems like he knows what he’s doing, and he knows about my allergies.”

His coach nodded. “If you think he’ll be okay, then I’m on board with him.” The principal wasn’t involved with the affairs of the athletic department medicine, which is why he didn’t have to hear about Phil’s retirement at first, but he could still tell the hospital if they didn’t like the replacement and to send a different person in.

 

 

It came as no surprise to Len when he saw Jim almost daily until the school year ended, and he often remembered the injured blond who didn’t seem to know how to take care of himself. He spent the summer alternating between his room in the school basement and the hospital, remembering to stock up on things that were on Jim’s okay list of pain meds. And when he was making his rounds at fall sports registration to introduce himself briefly to the parents of the athletes, he noticed Jim lounging at the back as Pike stood at the front. He knocked lightly on the door, and he saw Jim visibly straighten.

“Oh, and this is our new athletic trainer, Leonard McCoy,” Pike said with a wave. “Our previous trainer retired at the end of the year, and we’re very lucky to have Len.”

Len waved, a tad nervously. “Like Pike said, I’m Len McCoy and I’ll be here for any sports related injuries that may or may not occur through your season. I’m still down in Phil’s room, which is in the basement, for any of you who may not know, and I’ll do my best to keep you all in good condition.”

As usual, the concerned mother had to pipe up from the front. “You said you’re new this year? How do we know you’ll be as good as the previous trainer?”

Before Len could open his mouth, Jim started talking from the back. “I saw Len several times with Phil at the end of the year last year for my shin splints, and if I wasn’t close to Phil, I might dare to say Len’s even better. He’ll do a great job.”

“Thanks,” Len said uncertainly, and Jim nodded as he leaned back again. “A senior has my vote, so I hope that’s pretty comforting for you,” he said, a bit coldly, to the mother.

“The senior _captain,_ ” Jim added from the back.

“Thank you, Jim,” Pike said, a little strained. “It was nice to see you again, Len.”

Len knew when it was time to go and respectfully took his leave with another wave, crossing his fingers that he wouldn’t upset any other parents.

 

It came as no surprise to him when Jim was the first patient of the year, stepping tenderly and wincing and Len remembered his chronic shin splints.

“Shin splints again?”

Jim just nodded and winced again. “Can you just give me a big bag of ice?”

Len nodded. “Get your weight off your legs for a minute, kid. Take a seat while I get you some.”

“Thanks,” Jim said gratefully, pulling himself up on the table.

“So, captain, huh?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess. I dunno, they picked me and I wasn’t gonna turn the offer down.”

Len nodded as he passed the cold bag to the athlete. “Going to do it for your other sports too?”

Jim shrugged. “Not sure, honestly. I guess we’ll just have to see who gets elected. I don’t want to be that kid who captains everything.”

Len nodded. “I get what you mean. My momma pushed me to be captain every season, and my teammates hated me.”

“Where are you from?” Jim asked. “I mean- I don’t want to pry, but your accent isn’t from around here.”

“Georgia,” Len answered promptly. “I didn’t meet my parents’ expectations by going into physical training rather than a doctor, so I applied around, and got a job at the local hospital. They told me Phil was retiring and I could take his place at the local high school, and here I am.”

Jim was silent for a moment. “Well, my mom wants me to go into medical as well, and I’m looking at education, so I guess we’re both in the same boat.”

Len nodded, and they remained silent until Jim stood up and took his leave to go back to the team, stating that as captain, he had a duty to be there.

When he watched the kid leave, limping slightly again, he cursed under his breath and rubbed a handful of ice over his face. He wasn’t technically a school employee, but Jim was a minor until January and Len could not afford to develop unrequited feelings, no matter how attractive the teen was.

Jim sat sullenly under a tree, ice resting on his legs and ignoring Pike’s attempts to get the story out of him. Len was even more attractive than he remembered, especially when traces of stubble were visible close up, but he was impartial to Jim’s attempts to flirt.

“Goddamn trainer,” Pike heard him mutter, and concluded that he must have misheard and chose to ignore the statement.

 

Jim was a literal regular in the trainer’s office for the rest of the cross country season- he’d be the first one there, already in his running clothes, and Len would pass him a bag of ice. Some days they’d chat about little things, some days he would just wordlessly pass over the ice and Jim would jog off. There’d be a period of a few days where Jim’s shins wouldn’t hurt too badly, or there’d be a meet, or Jim would get sick, but the blond would always be back soon.

It was always just shin splints, until one day it wasn’t.

Len had already given Jim his daily bag of ice and was mostly through his line, when he saw the principal supporting Jim’s left side alone.

“Jim?” He couldn’t hide the concern in his voice. “Is he okay?”

Pike shook his head, strained from helping the teen. “He had just started his run, and I was following along with him, when he tripped and fell. He couldn’t stand up.”

“Christ, kid,” Len muttered and shooed his current athlete off the table. “Put him down here- I’ll get you ice and you can leave,” he shot towards the footballer complaining about being evicted. He shoveled ice into a bag faster than he ever had, and went to examine his more pressing patient.

“What hurts, Jim?”

Jim groaned. “Left ankle. Tripped over a root or something. Can’t put weight on it.”

Len’s fingers deftly untied Jim’s shoelaces and pulled off the shoe and sock, groaning when he saw the swelling beginning. “Okay, it’s a little swollen, but that might just be a sprain. Tell me if it hurts when I touch it.”

As soon as Len’s fingers made contact, Jim tried to pull back. “Hurts!”

“Oh, Jim, you do not want to hear this. I think it might be broken.”

“What? No, no, no, I can’t have a broken ankle. Regionals is in two weeks, Len, and I have to be there. I can’t have a broken ankle.”

Len shook his head grimly. “I’m sorry, kid. We’re gonna have to get an x-ray to verify it, but I think it’s broken. I’ll give you some ice, but that’s all I can do here. If I wrap it, it’ll just cause more damage, and I don’t have any crutches.”

“I hate x-rays,” Jim said, eyes widening. “Are you sure there’s nothing you can do?”

“I’ll be there with you, kid, and I can get you in fast, but that’s it.” He closed the door to his room in the face of several angry athletes, slapping a sign on that said he had an emergency to attend to, and scooped as much ice as he could into the bag. He passed Jim the bag and together, he and Pike helped the athlete down, taking his weight between the two of them.

“My car’s just outside the basement door,” Len supplied. “We can get him to the hospital and call his mother from there.”

Pike nodded, and they began the awkward walk down the hall, the ice dangling from Jim’s hand over Len’s shoulder. He tried to convince himself that it was the cold from the ice causing him to feel electric jolts through his body, and focused on hauling Jim’s compact body to the car.

When they got him settled, Jim was awkwardly arranged with his legs outstretched and his back against the other door. Pike rolled his shoulders to release the tension that had built up, and nodded at Len.

“I’ll go call off the rest of our practice, and I’ll meet you guys at the hospital. Jim, give me your keys, and I can drop your car off at home and get a ride with your mom.”

Jim struggled to slide a hand into his pocket and pull his keys out, tossing them to the principal rather than bending and risking jostling his ankle. Pike caught them deftly and gently closed the door on Jim, while Len went around to the driver’s side and started up the car.

“Ten minutes, tops,” Len promised, making eye contact with Jim’s shocking blue eyes in the rearview mirror. “I’ll get you a wheelchair, and we’ll get into x-ray as fast as possible.”

Jim nodded tightly. “Okay,” he said, and Len had never imagined that someone with as large of a personality as Jim could sound that small in the backseat of a car.

Not for the first time, Len wondered why they didn’t assign trainers from the nearest hospital as he sped past Riverside’s second, slightly smaller hospital and towards his employer. Eight excruciatingly bumpy minutes later, Len pulled the car up to the employee entrance and slammed into park.

“Stay put, kid. I’ll be right back,” he warned before running inside and pulling a wheelchair from the array and hauling it back to the car. The door was opened as wide as it could go, and Len’s hand extended towards Jim. “Okay, just slide out and grab my hand. Put all your weight on your right foot, and don’t even think about putting your left food down.”

Cautiously, Jim pushed his body forward with his hands until he could take Len’s, and allowed himself to be pulled out and propped up by Len and his right foot. His body was guided backwards carefully, until he hit the flexible wheelchair and Len released him slowly, adjusting the footrest and maneuvering Jim’s leg by the shin to be held up by the calf parallel to the ground.

“I’m going to go actually park, and I’m coming right back for you, I promise.”

Jim nodded and winced, wishing that Len had retrieved the bag of ice from the backseat, but resigning himself to wait. True to his word, though, Len parked haphazardly in the nearest space and came running back through the lot, bag of ice in hand.

“Thought you might want this,” he said, waving the ice, and Jim smiled weakly.

“Yeah, ice sounds good. Can you-“

Len nodded and balanced the cold pack on Jim’s ankle around the center of the pain as best as he could, checking with the blond that it was in a good place. When Jim nodded his assent, Len moved to behind the chair and showed Jim how to unlock the wheels and pushed his patient inside, wary of the bumps in the doorway.

They barely made it past the door before an intern tried to stop them. “Sir, civilians are not allowed through this entrance. You’ll have to go around to the front.”

“I am a goddamn employee,” Len snarled, pointing to the badge that he had pinned to his chest. “I’m an athletic trainer at the high school, and I have an athlete in need of x-rays. He can’t walk, so I’m not fucking taking him back outside. So shove it, kid.”

The intern stepped aside wordlessly, and Len had to work hard to not expend his anger by shoving the wheelchair, being conscious of his patient and instead slamming his hand on the elevator call button.

“Pissed off?” Jim asked lightly.

“You could say that,” Len replied, before adding “Goddamn interns” under his breath, and Jim cracked a smile for the first time since his fall.

 

Jim had managed to break both the bones in his ankle, the tibia and fibula. Len wasn’t entirely sure how, but he figured that if anyone could do it, it would be this kid. After Len checked the x-rays, he wheeled Jim down to the cast department, with promises that this part would hurt less than manipulating the ankle for x-rays that almost drove Jim to tears from the pain. Jim sullenly refused to choose a color for the cast, so he ended up getting a yellow that was closer to gold than anything else, which wrapped up his shin and partially across his foot.

“Oh, Jim!”

The blonde woman who looked strikingly similar to Jim could only be his mother, Len concluded as he wheeled the teen back into the waiting room, where Pike and Mrs. Kirk were waiting.

“It is broken, then?” Pike asked Len, a worried look on his face.

Len nodded grimly. “Yeah. He’s the only person I know that could break both bones in his ankle at the same time.”

Both Pike and Mrs. Kirk winced. “Ow. I suppose he’s not allowed to drive for a while?”

Len nodded, and Mrs. Kirk’s face fell. “Damn. I don’t know how he’s going to get to school or home now. I have to work at the mayor’s office from 7-7 every day.”

“I could pick him up in the mornings,” Len offered. “I have to be at school by 8 to get set up, and I could bring him home too. Where do you guys live?”

“Alpine and Charles,” Jim supplied helpfully, and Len smiled.

“I live right around you, so it would be no problem for me. I’ll go get you some crutches quick, and then I’ll give you my phone number in case you need anything.” Len smiled and went off to go dig for a pair of the walking aids, getting the tallest pair he could find for the kid who was 6’.

“Here you go,” he said, propping the crutches against the wheelchair before rattling off eleven digits for Jim to program into his phone. Jim nodded as he typed the number in, and promised he’d text Len his address tonight.

“Sounds good,” Len smiled. “Get some practice with the crutches tonight, but be careful, and make sure you get an early passing permit from the nurse tomorrow.”

Jim groaned. “Chapel hates me. Do I have to?”

“Unless you want to have your foot jostled every time you walk,” Len warned, and Jim sighed in resignation.

“Fine. Can you help me up? I want to get started with the crutches.”

Getting Jim set up on the crutches turned out to be a three person ordeal- Len to pull him out of the chair, Winona Kirk to balance the crutches, and Pike to balance Jim on the crutches.

“Okay, Jim, I’ll take you home, and then I’ll have to take Pike back to the school so he can drive his own car home. Do you want anything to eat?”

Jim shook his head as he slowly began swinging himself towards the door. “Whatever you make is fine, mom. I just want to get home and hope this is all a nightmare.”

 

Leo knocked on the door of the house Jim had addressed him too, and worried a little as he heard a thud. “Jim? Are you okay?”

The blond pulled the door open, balancing carefully on his right foot with his crutches under his arms, and smiled. “I’m good, Bones. I’ll grab my backpack and we can go, okay?”

“Uh, okay. Where did ‘Bones’ come from anyway? Last night I was Len.” He stepped just inside the house, and watched to make sure Jim was okay getting the backpack on without falling over.

“You told me I’m the only one you know who could break both the bones in their ankle at the same time. So, Bones.” Jim crutched out of his bedroom, and Len realized for the first time that the kid was still wearing a pair of running shorts and a loose shirt.

“Can you, uh-” Jim gestured to the door with his right crutch, and Len immediately nodded.

“Yeah, of course. Will it lock behind me or-” Len didn’t finish his sentence as Jim nodded and made his way through the now-open door.

“Yeah, it’ll lock behind you and I’ll use my keys to get in tonight. Thanks for this, by the way.”

Len smiled as the door swung shut behind him. “It’s no problem, Jim. I literally live just up the road. If I get you an early passing permit, will you use it?”

“Uh, yeah, probably,” Jim admitted. “Can you talk to Chapel for me?”

“I’ll talk to Chapel with you,” Len corrected as he helped Jim into the front seat of his car, ignoring Jim’s complaints.

 

Right before the bell signaling the end of school rang, Len was surprised to find Jim crutching into the room.

“Jim? What the hell are you doing here?”

Jim attempted to shrug, but was hindered by his backpack and the crutches. “I can’t practice, and you’re my ride home, so I figured I’d help you out until you’re done.”

Len sighed. “S’pose, you’re right, kid. Put your stuff down and I’ll show you the basics today. I’ll probably just have you fill bags of ice and pass me tape until you can put some weight down, okay?”

“As long as I’m not sitting on my ass in some empty classroom, it sounds good to me,” Jim said as he leaned his crutches against the wall, and he heard Len laugh for the first time.

“I know how you feel, kid. Here, I’ll grab you two chairs,” Len offered, and Jim smiled gratefully as he balanced on one leg. Len returned with not only two chairs, but a small pillow as well, and Jim realized that it was for his comfort. He sank into the first chair and allowed Len to pull his foot up on top of the pillow on the other, noticing that he was in reach of both the cabinet of supplies and the cooler of ice.

“Can you fill up a couple bags before people start getting here? It’s nice to be ahead a little,” Len mentioned as he checked that he had everything he needed, and Jim nodded.

“Yeah, no problem, Bones.” He filled up eight bags before the first athlete arrived, and it became a session of catch with Len as he shoveled ice as fast as possible and tossed it across the room with the occasional roll of tape for a more serious injury, and even another roll of saran wrap when Len’s first ran out. By the time the last student was done, Jim had lost count of the bags he filled and there was no ice left in the coolers, and Len had rolls of tape stacked up according to strength in a fairly large pile.

“Holy shit, that was busy,” Jim said when they were done, and Len chuckled.

“Yeah, kid, this ain’t always easy to do. Anyway, I’m done, so I can take you home whenever you’re ready.”

Jim nodded and stood up precariously, reaching for his crutches as Len grabbed his backpack. “Bones, you don’t have to do that! I can get it.”

Len just shook his head and held the door open for Jim.

 

They went on like that for the next six weeks- Len would pick up Jim, Jim would sit with his foot propped up and make bags of ice, Len would drop Jim off at home. So when Jim’s cast came off just a week into his swim team season, Len was kind of disappointed because he had gotten used to spending a lot of time with the kid, despite knowing he’d be back in for shoulder ice this time around.

“Yo, Bones!” It’s Jim’s first day back in the pool, and Len has to hide a grin as the swimmer calls out a greeting.

“Is it time for shoulder ice now?” Len asks as he turns around, and his breath catches. Jim hasn’t put a shirt on to come down, just a pair of shorts over what can only be an extremely tight swimsuit. Len’s never seen the kid shirtless before, and it’s a sight to behold.

Jim just nods and starts making his own bag of ice. “It’s the RTC along the shoulder. Usually Phil just used the saran wrap to hold the ice along the shoulder blade, and I’d have to sit out for a while before getting in.”

Len nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. “Hop up on the table and I’ll wrap you up.” His deft fingers hold the ice in the right place as he starts the plastic wrap, and it’s an awkward position to wrap for, but Jim doesn’t complain as Len’s fingers are slightly clumsier and Jim’s left arm is immobilized. Finally, he tucks the end in under the layers, and Jim stands up and smiles.

“Thanks, Bones,” he says, and Len can tell that he means it.

“No problem,” he says honestly, and smiles. “I assume you’ll be back all season?”

“You know me too well,” Jim jokes before taking his leave, and Len smiles for the rest of the afternoon.

 

It’s three weeks before sectionals when it happens. Jim spent the better part of half an hour telling Len how nervous he is even though his shoulder is done being wrapped, and Len feels terrible, but he has to send the kid away. So when he sends his last patient on his way, he locks up and makes his way to the pool for the first time all year. The door is open, so he enters cautiously, and sees Jim sitting on the bleachers and balancing a textbook on his legs.

“You okay, Jim?”

Jim nods and looks up from his book. “Yeah, but… I dunno, I suppose it’s just because it’s senior year, and it’s my last shot to do good. Senior sectional, and then I’m done with this sport,” he mulls, and Len sits down next to him.

“Hey, you’re gonna do great, kid. You’ll probably qualify for state too, so there’s that. I believe in you.”

Jim smiles and his blue eyes meet Len’s hazel. Suddenly, he surges forward and his lips crash into Len’s, and his hand is on Len’s face and Len’s hand is in his hair and neither of them are really sure of anything anymore except that this is the perfect moment.

The rest of the swim team is suddenly pretending to be preoccupied with actually swimming for once, and Coach Archer is suddenly engrossed in an email on his phone when they finally break apart. Len grins, and Jim rests his forehead against the older man’s.

“Thank you,” he whispers, and Len knows that it’s not just for the support, but for everything over the past year.

“You’re welcome,” he says, and Jim grins. 


End file.
